Dispensing device



March 9, 1937. Q M SMITH 2,073,076

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Nov. 2, 1951 1a zyzaa 2 1110723 @7&2 +111 I 'L'Y s INVENTOR.

725.1 :i a M Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT orifici?.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a dispensing device, and is particularlyapplicable to the dispensing of liquid soap and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an .5; improved dispensingdevice which will deliver a quantity of liquid into which has beeninterjected a quantity of gas.

Another object of the invention is to provide an-improved dispensingdevice which will deliver 1.0 intimately mixed predetermined quantitiesof liquid and gas.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensingdevice which will be simple in construction and operation.

Another object is to provide an improved dispensing device which will becomposed of few and simple parts. v

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from `20 the description of onepractical embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

l Figure 1 is a side elevational' view, partly in section, of oneembodiment of the invention applied to a wash basin;

Figure 2 is anenlarged central sectional view ofgthe device of Figure 1;l

Figure is` a cross-sectional view taken on the line lll-111 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is afragmentary View taken on the line IV-IV ofFigure 3 andshowing-the parts in discharging position; and

Figure 5Yis a perspective view of a series of washer-like members shownin the other figures.

.In Figure 1, a basin of the conventional type is shown at I, beingprovided with a faucet 2 and a drain 3 and supported upon a wall 4.Positioned above the wash basin is a tank 5 also secured tothe wall andhaving an outlet pipe 6 upon which is attached the dispensing deviceindicated generally at D.

The dispensing device is better illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 andconsists of a supporting bushing 1 threaded onto the end of pipe 6.Secured to the exterior of the bushing as by threads 8 is a cylindricalbody or housing 9, and clamped between a shoulder I0 formed within thishousing and the end of the bushing 1 are a plurality of disc-likemembers II, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, and I1 which will be hereinafterdescribed in greater detail.

A hollow cylindrical plunger I8 is `adapted to be reciprocated withinth-e cylindrical housing 9 and its inner open end is provided with apacking 55 ring or washer I9 conveniently of leather or the like,secured to the plunger by a threaded clamping ring 20, so that a tightseal is effected between the plunger and casing.` The outer end of theplunger is closed, with the exception of a central perforation ororifice 2l which serves as a vent during part of the operation, andduring another part is closed, as will be described.

Supported by discs II to I6 is a cylinder 22 having a shoulder abuttingthe outer side of the disc II and a reduced cylindrical portion throughthe discs.

Threaded upon the exterior of this end is a cup-like closure 23, the endof which bears upon the side of disc I6, so that the discs arecompressed between this end and the shoulder of cylinder 22. This memberisslotted as indicated at 24 to permit the ingress of fluid from pipe 6.

A slide valve 25 is arranged to reciprocate within the end of cylinder22 and is prevented from moving completely into the cylinder by lockingring 26. Passing through the valve is a central opening 21. A ball 28 iscarried within the valve and seats upon a shoulder connecting the innernarrow portion of opening 21 andthe outer widened portion thereof.Between the widened portion and urging the ball upon its seat is aspring 29 secured by a washer 30 which, in turn is retained within thevalve by the pinning over of the end of the latter.

A piston 3| is arranged to reciprocate within' cylinder 22 and issecured by a screw 32 to an actuating rod 33. 'I'he end of the rod issubstantially conical in shape as indicated at 34 and positioned toclose the opening 2| in plunger I3. 'Ihe rod is notched as indicated at35, and this notch receives a portion of a washer 3B which is expandedinto the interior of plunger I9 adjacent its outer end so that the rodis free for slight longitudinal movement relative the plunger, thismovement being suflicient to open and close opening 2| and permit theVenting of the space between plunger I8 and the casing 9.

A spring 31 is positioned between parts II and 36 to return the plungerto its outermost position after it has been actuated; and a secondspring 38 is provided for moving the valve 25 to its outermost positionwith the locking ring 26 bearing upon the end of cylinder 22.

The washers II to I1 are as best illustrated in Figure 5, from which itwill be noted that each Washer except I1 has a central perforation largeenough to permit the passage of the reduced end of cylinder 22, thelast, I1, being a narrow ring pressing upon the adjacent washer I6 andclearing parts 22 and 2 3.

The end washers II and I l6 are similar in that they extend continuouslyfrom about the reduced portion of cylinder 22 to the shell 9, but theformer has a small perforation 39 permitting air to pass from withincasing 9 through the washer.

Washers I2 and I5 are identical, each being circular in shape andextending from cylinder 22 to casing 9, excepting at their bottoms,where notches 40 are provided. Each of these washers is provided withtwo circularperforations 4| and 42, the former of which is in alignmentand substantially coaxial with perforation 39, so that air passingthrough the last mentioned perforation will enter at the center ofaperture 4 I.

Washer I3 has a notch 43 corresponding to notches 40 and apertures 44and 45 in alignment with apertures 4I and 42. However, a passage 46connects the central opening with aperture 44, and a second passage 4'Iconnects apertures 44 and 45. From the latter aperture, the periphery ofthe di'sc is cut away throughout substantially 270, until it reaches oneside of notch 43, so that a passage 5I as shown in Figure 3 passingupwardly in a counter-clockwise direction and around to the notch at thebottom is provided.

Washer I4 is substantially identical to washer I3 excepting that thepassage 46 is omitted.

The washers are arranged as shown in Figure 5 and then placed tightlyagainst each other, a small helical spring 48 fitting within the spaceformed by apertures 4I, 44, 44', and 4I, and a similar spring 49 fittingwithin that formed by apertures 42, 45, and 42, so that the springsconstitute in effect screens through which the material must pass, thescreens serving to agitate the iiuid in its passage, and, due to theirresiliency, permitting some lateral movement, to allow the passage ofany solidparticles present.

An aperture is provided through cylinder 22 andpositioned to communicatewith slot 46.

Theopera't'ion of the device is as follows:

Starting with Vthe parts in the positions shown in Figure 2, thepressure of the liquid soap or the like unseats ball 28 and permits thisliquid to fill the space within the cylinder 22. As soon as this spacehas been filled, spring 29 causes the ball to reseat and the device isready for actuation. The operator Apreses the plunger I8 in, and duringthe time when it moves from its full line position toits dotted lineposition this plunger moves independently. However, when it reaches thedotted line position of Figure 2, aperture 2l is seated upon the conicalend 34 of rod 33, and thereafter plunger and piston 3I move in unison.As these are moved inwardly, air is compressed within shell 9, andsimultaneously the liquid within cylinder 2'2 is compressed, causingvalve 25 to move inwardly into the position shown in Figure 4 while ituncovers port 50.

The compressed air escapes through vent 39 into the interior of spring48 and the liquid is forced through aperture 50 and through slot 46 intothe interior of this same spring.

The streams of liquid and air enter substantially at right angles and,the liquid passing through the narrow slots of spring 48 is divided. Theinteraction of the two streams causes them to be intimately mixed,churning soap and air into a series of bubbles and producing a thicklather. This action is, to an extent, repeated and augmented by passingthrough spring 49, and after the material has passed this far, it

circulates around the passage 5I between washers I2 and I5 and shell 9to notches 40, 43, and 43 which are in alignment with a dischargeopening 52.

The lather produced is very eiective in washing, considerably greater inbulk than would be the soap of which it is composed, and prevents thewastage of said soap, as is common in devices which dispense soap in itsliquid form.

While I have described the illustrated embodiment of my invention insome particularity. obviously many other embodiments Will readily occurto those skilled in this art, and I, therefore, do not limit myself tothe precise details shown and described, but claim as my invention allembodiments, variations and modifications coming within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A foam or lather producing device comprising two concentriccylinders, pistons arranged to reciprocate in said cylinders,connections Ybetween said pistons wherebynthey may be slmulj taneouslymoved, a liquid supply line connected to one of said cylinders, a slidevalve in said cylinder having a passage therethrough interposed in thepath of liquid passing from` the supply line to the cylinder, a checkvalve controlling said passage to admit liquid to said cylinder, a portfrom said cylinder arranged to be covered by said slide valve in theposition which theparts occupy when the device is not being actuated andexposed when said valve is actuated upon motion of said pistons fromtheir normal position, a chamber with which said port communicates, asecond discharge port between the other cylinder and said chamber, and adischarge passage from said chamber to the exterior of th device. y y

2. A foam or lather producing device comprising two concentriccylinders, pistons arranged to reciprocate in'said cylinders,connections `be, tween said pistons whereby they may be simultaneouslymoved, a liquid supply line connected to one of said cylinders, a slidevalve in said cylinder having a passage therethrough interposed in thepath of liquid passing from the supply line to the cylinder, a checkvalve controlling said passage to admit liquid to said cylinder, a portfrom said cylinder arranged to be covered by said slide valve in theposition which the parts occupy when the device is not beingactuated andexposed when said valve is actuated upon motion of said pistons fromtheir normal position, a chamber with which said port communicates, asecond discharge port between the other cylinder and said chamber, adischarge passage from said chamber to the exterior of the device, and aresilient screen in said chamber.

3. A foam or lather producingv device comprising two concentriccylinders, pistons arranged to reciprocate in said cylinders,connections between said pistons whereby they may be simultaneouslymoved, a liquid supply line connected to one of said cylinders, a slidevalve inv said cylinder having a passage therethrough interposed in thepath of liquid passing from the supply line to the cylinder, a checkvalve controlling said passage to admit liquid to said cylinder, a portfrom said cylinder arranged to be covered by said slide valve in theposition which the parts occupy when the device is not being actuatedand exposed when said valve is actuated upon Vmotion of said pistonsfrom their normal position, achamber with which said port communicates,a

second discharge port between the other cylinder and said chamber, adischarge passage from said chamber to the exterior of the device, and aplurality of resilient screens in said chamber and passage.

4. A foam or lather producing device comprising a bushing adapted to besecured to the end of a liquid supply line, .a generally cylindricalcasing secured to said bushing, a plurality of centrally apertureddisc-like members clamped between said bushing and casing and providedwith apertures to form two circular chambers communicating with eachother, said chambers having three ports, one communicating with theinterior of the casing, the second a radially inwardly extending port,and the third a discharge port to the exterior of the casing, a cylindersupported by said disc-like members concentric second mentioned plungerand having an end arf ranged to close said last mentioned port when theplungers are moved inwardly, and a spring moving said plungers to theiroutermost position.

CLARENCE M. SMITH.

